Proverbs 3:24…Sleep?

Proverbs 3:24 says:  When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Can we talk? I mean, this is a serious issue!  People have gone insane with sleep deprivation!  It not only affects a person psychologically but sleep deprivation also affects cognition, physical health, and relationships.

Sleep issues are a staple in this household for different reasons and ALL have been checked out by doctors to make sure there are not any life threatening issues. I’m just going to say it….my man doesn’t snore much but I do! I have been tested for Sleep Apnea and do not have it. I do feel that because of my snoring I wake up more often during the night though. I have no problems going to sleep at all as evidenced by this photo my son secretly took of me when he came up to say good night…on my birthday, no less!  Can you guess what I got?

Most of the time when I wake up I can go right back to sleep but occasionally my mind is racing with thoughts and that is when I can, if I’m wise, use the time to pray. I get up very early so sometimes I can’t go back to sleep because it’s almost time to get up!

As I’ve grown older I find I can function on a lot less sleep than when I was younger, or maybe I’ve just adapted, I don’t know.  I do know when I had kids my inner clock reset and stayed, and now I can’t sleep in much past 7 AM even if I want to!  Somehow, sleeping in late makes me feel like I’ve lost half my day; the most important part.  I savor that delicious time in the quiet early morning hours before anyone else is up, to take my time and spend time with the Lord.  It is my favorite part of the day.

BUT I will say that without a certain minimal amount of sleep, I can’t even stay focused enough to pray so it turns into one of those “Be Still” mornings, which are very good to have especially in those circumstances.  When I’ve not slept enough and I have to go to work and actually think and interact with people, I say small, simple one sentence prayers throughout the day to get me through.  The Lord truly does hold us up when we are weakened by insomnia.

My husband also suffers from lack of sleep for different reasons and because of this and the fact that I snore (more than he does but he’s not getting totally off the hook), we have made an adjustment in our sleeping arrangement which made all the difference.  It’s not an arrangement that appeals to everyone and even seems a bit taboo, but it’s an arrangement that was probably instrumental in saving our sanity.  If you haven’t guessed yet, it’s sleeping in different rooms.  I said it.  And I bet there are a lot more couples out there who do it than talk about it.

We no longer have to worry about our snoring disturbing each other.  I sleep better in a cold room with a fan in the window year round, and he likes his room normal temperature.  We can get up without worrying we’re going to jiggle the bed too much and wake the other up.  I don’t get mad any more because he is constantly poking and shaking me to make me quit snoring.  I can sleep without covers if I need to.  He can pile them on.  Neither of us has to stay scrunched in our own little mattress trench for fear of waking the other. And I won’t even go into the dreams and talking in our sleep!

There is no shame in needing sleep and only being able to achieve it by yourself in your own room. The Bible speaks of the “marriage bed” and how it should be undefiled and revered.  Having TWO marriage beds in the same house by MUTUAL agreement is not a bad thing. It’s a totally win/win situation for those who can’t sleep together and want to stay sane and happy TOGETHER!  Sweet sleep!